What a great study for me this morning. God led me to 1 Corinthians 8 to continue my study on the word “builds”. Here I found a familiar passage that I do not remember thinking of in this way. Love builds up. The passage is on not leading others to stumble by our actions. What I do not remember considering before was love being the reason. Yes, we do not want to cause our neighbor to stumble in their faith, but we do it out of love.
“1Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’ This ‘knowledge’ puffs up, but love builds up.” – 1 Corinthians 8:1 (ESV)
“7However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.” – 1 Corinthians 8:7-8 (ESV)
I/we have the knowledge that we have salvation that comes from God and that our sins are forgiven. We also know that those things that may have been prohibited in the old testament have been relaxed or removed as such thanks to the new covenant with God. We are not impacted positively or negatively in the way we go about those things. We have been forgiven and serve our savior without the burden as noted in verse 8 above.
It is our neighbor that is not in the relationship with the Father that is still in struggle with the law. Our neighbor does not have the security of God and therefore find themselves conflicted with how to proceed when placed in a position of question. These neighbors lean on the law and also look to us as they are in belief that we are going against that law and it breaks down the relationship with us and pushes to close the door that leads to Christ.
“13Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” – 1 Corinthians 8:13 (ESV)
It is out of love that we are to abstain from those things that would cause another to stumble. Whether it is not eating the food, or not having that glass of wine, or staying away from that specific movie with them present. I know that I am just enjoying each of these as they are not prohibited, but the cause my neighbor to stumble and increases their anxiety, therefore I should stay away in order that I am building them up through love for them.
What are you doing in front of others? Do you realize that it may be causing them to stumble in their faith or be pushed away from the faith? What if you were to abstain from those things so as not to cause them to stumble, but build them up through love?
Trevor's Thoughts 
The difficult thing for me to do was there were customs in other countries that I lived in that were repulsive to me. Although not against Bibleical standards. Even so, I participated because to refuse to do so would be very offensive.
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